This invention relates generally to means and methods for delivery of oxygen to a patient and relates, more particularly, to means and methods for delivery of oxygen to the nostrils of a patient who is an infant.
Heretofore, the most common manner for delivering oxygen from a source to the nostrils of an infant was to use a small nasal cannula designed for this purpose. For example, the nasal cannula would likely possess a conduit through which oxygen is conducted from a source and the conduit would, in turn, possess two tubular portions which are supportable across the face of an infant and two nostril orifices disposed between the tubular portions. Typically and to accommodate the use of the nasal cannula by an infant, the two tubular portions are sized (in length) so as to be capable of being draped across the ears of the infant for supporting the nostril orifices in registry with the infant's nostrils for discharge of oxygen from the cannula toward the nostrils. If necessary, the tubular portion of the cannula is commonly taped across the face of the infant to maintain the nostril orifices at desired locations thereon.
Because of the presence of a nasal cannula across the face of an infant is normally foreign to the infant, the infant is likely to resist the nasal cannula—whether it is draped across the infant's ears or whether it is taped to the infant's face.
To render an oxygen delivery cannula less onerous to an infant, the cannula can be incorporated within a pacifier. One attempt to incorporate such a cannula to an infant pacifier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,593 wherein a pair of nasal cannula are mounted within a mouthpiece of the pacifier for directing air into the nostrils of an infant when the pacifier (or, more specifically, the nipple thereof) is held within the mouth of the infant. However, the pacifier of this referenced patent does not resemble a pacifier that the infant is likely to be familiar with nor does it address the potential discomfort experienced by the infant from the presence of the nasal cannula within the infant's nostrils.
It would be desirable to provide an alternative means for delivering oxygen to the nostrils of an infant wherein the alternative means resembles a pacifier which the infant is likely to be familiar with and is adapted to direct oxygen toward the nostrils of the infant without the insertion of nasal cannula within the nostrils.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved oxygen delivery apparatus for an infant which is intended to promote the infant's comfort when oxygen is delivered toward the infant's nostrils.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an oxygen delivery apparatus which embodies features of a commonly-used pacifier with which an infant is likely to be familiar.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such an oxygen delivery apparatus which obviates the need for the insertion of nasal cannula directly within the nostrils of an infant.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such an oxygen delivery system which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.